Egg carton



July 5 1927.

' w. A.- SCHURMANN EGG CARTON Fi1ed Nov. 16. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 10 of an eg carton or '50 these overlapping flaps Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM A: SCHURMANN, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR w. L: W l

00., INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01 muons.

EGG CARTON.

Application filed November 16. 1925. Serial Io. 69,255.

This invention relates to egg cartons, or egg boxes, in which eggs are shipped and sold, and more particularly to those which are foldable or collapsib e into a fla condition so that they may be. shipped flatwise and then unfolded for use.

Generally stated. the object of the. invention is to provide a novel and improved construction. whereby the rectangular end walls box of this character may be left uncreased in order to stiffen .the box, and in order to obtain other advantages, but whereby. at the same time. such formation and construction will not interfere with the free and easy folding of the earton or box into a flat condition. and wherebvccrtain other beneficial. results are. obtained. as will hereinafter more fully appear.

To these and other useful ends. the. invention consists in the mattershereinafter set forth and claimed. and shown in the accompanying drawings. in which Figure 1 is a perspective of an egg carton or box, embodying the principles of the invention. showing the same open and in condition to receive the, egg filler. which is ordinarily used with cartons or boxes of this kind;

Figure 2 is a perspective of one end portion of said box or carton. showing the same partially folded or collapsed:

Figure 3.is a plan of the blank from which the box or carton is made: and

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the manner in which the blanks are cut from the paper, or other sheet material. from which the cartons or boxes are made;

As thus illustrated. and referring to Fig- .ures 1. 2 and 3. the carton or box comprises a bottom Wall 1. a front wall 2 having creases 3 therein. and a're'ar wall 4 which is uncreased: uncreased rectangular end walls 5, and flaps 6 and 7 the latter having creases 8. as shown: and a top wallor cover 9 having a flap 1O whit-his tucked inside of the box when the cover is folded down into place. A single staple 11 is inserted at each end of the box to hold the flapsfi in overlapped position upon the flaps 7 and to hold position upon the outer surfaces of the end Walls 5, as shown. Thus. with the flaps 6 and 7 cutas shown, a wide notch or opening is provided at each end of the box. between the edges 12 and p 13 of the flaps. which latter also have the horizontal edges 14 and 15. .as shown, so that each notch has upwardly converging sides and a, straight bottom. thus being V-shaped so to speak. with the apex thereof cut off or truncated. Thus. aportion of the outer surface of each wall 5 is exposed at the end of the box, as shown.

With the blanks cut as shown in thev fit together. so to speak. as shown in the diagram of Figure 4. so that there is practically no waste material between the blanks. as shown. This is an advantage, of

course. as it is a saving in the use of paper or other sheet material from which the boxes or cartons are made.

When the box or carton is folded, the wide and deep spaces formed between the edges 12. 13. 14 and 15 permit the insertion of a thumb through eaeh notch or space. or of some portion of the machine for making the boxes or cartons (they may be made on automatic machinery). thereby to press the walls 5 inwardlv and down flatwise upon the bot tom wall 1. in the manner indicated. by the initial portion of said folding operation, as shown in Figure 2. the portions at each side of the creases 3 be ng interposed between the walls 5 and the bottom 1. but otherwise these walls 5 being laid flatwise in direct contact with the said bottom.

Furthermore. inasmuch as the flaps 6 and 7 have the straight upper edges 16 and 17,

it follows that the corners 18 and 19, so it is found. are less likely to tear. for example, as would be the case if the edges 12 and 13 were flaring enough to extend directly to these corners. Thus,-in addition to providing wide notches or spaces at each end of the box. through which the thumbs 01' p01: tions of an automatic machine may be insorted to press the walls 5 down upon the bottom. it is also true that the formation is such that the corners18 and 19 are less liable to tear, and it is such that the blanks can be formed and cut with practically no waste material between them, as shown in' the drawings. Practically the only waste to be seen between the blanks is where the flap 10 is cut oil' obliquely at its ends, to form the oblique edges 20, but the material cut off here is very slight, and the result is that a way is provided for the use of the in one row of blanks, are in staggered relato the transverse cuts between the blanks in the other rowof blanks. Hence, the straight edges 14 of the blanks are merely extensions of the straight transverse cuts or lines of severance between the blanks in the other row, the blanks in one row being all arranged with their cover flaps 10 in one direction, while the blanks in the other row are all arranged with their said cover flaps in the other. direction. With this method. the edges 15 of the blanks in one row engage the edges 15 of the blanks in the other row, when the' blanks are cut from the sheet as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. r

With the novel method of cutting the blanks as shown and described. it will be seen that all of the cover flaps 10 in one row extend in one direction. while the cover flaps in the adjacent row extend in the cnpcsite direction. In this way. the sections 1', 2. 4i, 9 and 10 of-each blank extend transversely of the sheet or strip from which the blanks are cut, while the sections 5 extend longitudinally of said sheet or strip, in the manner shown. Thus the blanks in. one longitudinal row are in staggered relation to the blanks in the adjacent row. and the transverse dividing lines or cuts formed on the sheet between the blanks of one row alternate with the similar lines or cuts in the adjacent row.

Without disclaiming anyth ng. and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed.- what I claim as my invention is: V

1. A foldable box or carton comprising a bottom wall. an uncreased rear wall. a creased front wall. uncreased rectangular inner end walls. outside creased end flans.

uncreased end flaps overlapping the creased flaps, and a cover. said .flaps'being formed to provide a wide notch or spacebetween themnt each end of the box, exposing a substantial portion of the outer surface of each rectahgular uncreasedend wall, to

facilitatc'the folding of the end wall upon notch or space, thereby to reduce possibility of tearing of the material at the front and rear upper corners of the box.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said fastening device comprising a single staple for each end of the box, each staple amending over said straight lower edges of the bot tom of each notch or space at each end or" the box. i r

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said flaps being so shaped that two or more parallel rows of such blanks fit together without space between the edges of the end wall flaps of one'row and the similar flaps ofthe next row.

5. Means for making boxes of uniform size and shape, comprising a plurality of parallel adjacent rows of blanks. each'blank having a cover flap and end wall flaps, with the blanks of one row staggered relatively to the blanks in the adjacent row, and with the cover flaps of the blanks all extending in one direction in one row and all in the opposite direction in the next row, so that the transverse dividing. lines between the blanks of one row are between and alternate-with the similar cuts of the next row, the end wall flaps of each blank being formed so that those of one blank willfit the edges of adjacent blanks, with said flaps for this purpose formed to provide a notch or space at each end of the ultimate box. to expose a portion of the outer-surface of a rectangular end wall at eachend of the box. whereby the form of the blank has the double advantage of economizing in the use of material and of insuring a finished carton or box with end wall construction therefor to facilitate the folding thereof.

6. Means for making boxes of uniform size and shape, comprising a plurality of.

blanks of one row are in staggered relation to form straight upper edges of certain flaps to and alternate with the similar lines beof the blanks in another row. tween the blanks of the next row, each 8. A structure as specified in claim 6, in blank in a. row fitting the edges of two adjawhich short cuts made transversely of the 5 cent blanks in another row. said rows of blanks form straight upper 7. A structure as specified in claim 6, in edges of certain flaps of the bl in each which the transverse dividing line cuts berow.

tween the blanks of any row are extended WILLIAM A. SCHURMANK, 

